We were at Cherokee over Labor Day. It came a couple of good rains, and one HUGE downpour. We have a manual awning, and I tilt it to let water run off. so I had no problemsHowever. There was one guy with a first time used 5er, and Electric awning. He didn't know how to tilt it, I'm only guessing you can. So it filled with water, and actually pulled the awning support rails OVER the screws holding them to the camper side. It is a total loss. another guy also had an electric awning, and somehow it filled with water BETWEEN the sheets of vinal. We had to hold it up, while he rolled it up to force the water out. So Moral of the story. Either tilt your awning, or roll it up. Just one more reason I love my manual awning.

You can absolutely tilt a power awning. I do it to ours all the time. Sometimes it’s just easier to roll it up (especially if there are going to be high winds), but if you want to keep the awning out to cover items underneath from rain you can tilt it easily.

Not all power awnings, mine has the self dump feature, it won't let the water get so heavy that it'll break but you also can't decide where you want the water to flow. Saw the guy from Coldwater review a unit where you could set the angle and if you started to retract it the arms would pop to their normal position before continuing to retract, very slick system I thought.

My electric awning tilts, no problem.Too bad no one showed him how that works.Mike

Mickeyfan0805 wrote:You can absolutely tilt a power awning.SOME power awnings. The Carefree of Colorado power awning that was installed stock by K-Z on my Spree had zero tilt and a dump feature that would dump water all over whomever was unfortunate enough to be underneath the awning in a heavy downpour. :M I hated that awning so much I had it replaced with a manual Dometic 8500 which could be tilted WAY down to allow water to easily run off it. The Coachmen we purchased later had a Dometic power awning that would tilt quite a bit and also would allow rainwater to easily run off. :B The devil is in the details. ;)

Terryallen, Maybe the 5th wheel owner was like me, so many things to learn in RV, that at the time the details of awning were not mentioned or quickly forgotten. I have had TT's for years, and just went to a 3 year old Class A. So many things different to learn. Electric awning is not quite as important to learn about as generator, auto levelers, and driving the beast.

Rain, and awnings. | Good Sam Community

30 Replies

Grit_dog
Navigator II
Sep 12, 2018
Sweet stories guys!
Hammerboy
Explorer
Sep 12, 2018
SoundGuy wrote:
Mickeyfan0805 wrote:
You can absolutely tilt a power awning.

SOME power awnings. The Carefree of Colorado power awning that was installed stock by K-Z on my Spree had zero tilt and a dump feature that would dump water all over whomever was unfortunate enough to be underneath the awning in a heavy downpour. :M I hated that awning so much I had it replaced with a manual Dometic 8500 which could be tilted WAY down to allow water to easily run off it. The Coachmen we purchased later had a Dometic power awning that would tilt quite a bit and also would allow rainwater to easily run off. :B The devil is in the details. ;)

A couple we camp with has this awning, does not tilt but will dump when it gets "full" and you don't want to be under it when it does. Ours on the other hand does tilt thank goodness.

Dan
04fxsts
Explorer
Sep 12, 2018
The awning on our 2015 ACE 30.1 can be tilted but I have not done it. When new I noticed the awning came out almost flat and I knew that would be a problem. The manual tells how to tilt it and not a big deal. I adjusted the awning so it has maximum pitch instead of flat and have no problems like that, water runs off just fine. Jim.
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Sep 12, 2018
Terryallan wrote:

So Moral of the story. Either tilt your awning, or roll it up. Just one more reason I love my manual awning.

yep, was watching a RV show where folks are buying an RV and the first thing the salesman/woman did getting into the unit was to say "let me show you the awning". big whoop. :s
I was sort of amused in one of the shows where they ended up buying the one with a manual awning.
bumpy
wildtoad
Explorer II
Sep 12, 2018
The one on my BSS If you do nothing, will dump when it gets to heavy from water. You can also tilt it but you have to know how. There is a knob on each support arm (just out of reach of course) that can be used to tilt the awning. You have to manually pull the awning down ( then tighten the knob ). You should remember to loosen it back when wanting to retract, or if you don’t tighten too much in the first place it will do it itself.
wannavolunteerF
Explorer
Sep 12, 2018
Terryallen, Maybe the 5th wheel owner was like me, so many things to learn in RV, that at the time the details of awning were not mentioned or quickly forgotten. I have had TT's for years, and just went to a 3 year old Class A. So many things different to learn. Electric awning is not quite as important to learn about as generator, auto levelers, and driving the beast.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Sep 12, 2018
Mickeyfan0805 wrote:
You can absolutely tilt a power awning.

SOME power awnings. The Carefree of Colorado power awning that was installed stock by K-Z on my Spree had zero tilt and a dump feature that would dump water all over whomever was unfortunate enough to be underneath the awning in a heavy downpour. :M I hated that awning so much I had it replaced with a manual Dometic 8500 which could be tilted WAY down to allow water to easily run off it. The Coachmen we purchased later had a Dometic power awning that would tilt quite a bit and also would allow rainwater to easily run off. :B The devil is in the details. ;)
Walaby
Explorer II
Sep 12, 2018
My electric awning tilts, no problem.

Too bad no one showed him how that works.

Mike
afidel
Explorer II
Sep 12, 2018
Not all power awnings, mine has the self dump feature, it won't let the water get so heavy that it'll break but you also can't decide where you want the water to flow. Saw the guy from Coldwater review a unit where you could set the angle and if you started to retract it the arms would pop to their normal position before continuing to retract, very slick system I thought.
Mickeyfan0805
Explorer
Sep 12, 2018
You can absolutely tilt a power awning. I do it to ours all the time. Sometimes it’s just easier to roll it up (especially if there are going to be high winds), but if you want to keep the awning out to cover items underneath from rain you can tilt it easily.

Forum Discussion

Rain, and awnings.

30 Replies

About RV Tips & Tricks

Related Content

Awnings and rain

Awning in the rain

Rain, Rain, Rain

Do not use awnings in heavy rain?????? Really???

Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain